


To Ride the Dragon

by bootoye (sherlocked_bootoye)



Category: Saiunkoku Monogatari
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-22 19:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2519369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlocked_bootoye/pseuds/bootoye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shuuei has to make a choice between his clan and his Emperor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Ride the Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this back in 2008 for the saiun_challenge comm on LJ XD
> 
> The weekly challenge was Dragon.... XD  
> Enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> ps. I hope my formatting comes through. Italics indicates a flashback.

Ran Shuuei walked the long wide corridors of the Ran Manor deep in thought. His light armour creaked slightly as it shifted with his movements and sounded very loud in the halls which were built to accentuate even the smallest noise and make it heard by any other who was also in the hallway. There wasn’t anyone else here though, no, Ran Shuuei was alone but he was barely aware of this fact because within his own thoughts he was in the presence of his younger brother and his words from earlier kept bouncing around inside Shuuei’s head.

 

_“Shuu-aniue.”_

 

_Shuuei turned at the rarely used form of address from his younger brother. Ran Ryuuren was as usual dressed in a most eccentric manner. His close fitting robes were light blue with yellow trousers and of course the cape and turban with a variety of long colourful plumes, were immaculate as usual. What was out of the ordinary was the serious knowing look upon his face as he addressed his brother._

 

_**“If you try to confront the dragon it will overpower you. However, if you ride the dragon, you can take advantage of its might and power.”** _

 

_Without further explanation the young Ran genius turned and walked down the steps into the gardens, leaving Shuuei alone to cipher what exactly Ryuuren had been trying to tell him._

 

_He stood at the top of those steps for minutes until it became clear that the ‘dragon’ referred to both the Ran clan and his elder brothers. Together they were very formidable and as the fourth brother, Shuuei had no choice but to bow to their will, for the good of the clan. During the past two years in Kiyou he had tried to ignore his clan. He had tried to ignore the fact that his actions were a reflection of the Rans and would always be seen as such whether that was the case or not._

 

_Shuuei ignored the messages which warned him of his seeming alliance with the Kou heir but he had tried to compromise by leaving the civil service and joining the military. Then he ignored his elder brothers’ mandate to refuse any offer of flowers or favours from the Emperor. Truth be told when Ryuuki offered him the Iris he was flattered and had felt a sense of accomplishment to win the emperor’s favour through his own initiative. Unfortunately his brothers did not completely support this move but they did not insist that he return the iris ‘that’ would have been a gross embarrassment to both the emperor and the Ran Clan._

 

_**"If you ignore the Dragon it will eat you**."_

 

_Shuuei knew that it would be only a matter of time before his brothers made him return to Ran Province and he preferred to do that under his own strength than being forced. When Jyuusan-hime came to Kiyou Shuuei knew that his time was up. He could no longer ignore the vague signals he had been getting from the triplets, the message was now clear; he had to return._

 

_However, though he knew he had to leave it was one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life, he knew he would have missed Kouyuu and Shusui and Kouchou, he did not envisage the deep pain which threatened to overwhelm when he realised that he would be leaving Ryuuki. He had not wanted to leave but he knew if he did not then the Dragon would have feasted on Ryuuki and all those who were dear to him. That was something Shuuei did not want to be responsible for._

 

_Ironically, Ryuuki proved to be much braver than Shuuei had given him credit for and actually left Kiyou in pursuit of him; the younger man had almost been injured because of this. In his own naive way Ryuuki declared his love for Shuuei and implored the older man to return with him. He even offered to go duel the Dragon for his blue knight. It was so foolhardy and endearing at the same time. Shuuei was touched in a way that defied reason and he vowed to change the equation._

 

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But, Shuuei found himself at an impasse as he stood in the inner corridors which led to the main receiving room; where he knew his brothers worked during the afternoons. He knew he could not confront them in any real sense of the word since he belonged to the Ran Clan and as such they will never agree to release him to an emperor that they were unwilling to acknowledge. Yes, they had ways to keep him in Ran Province, so he could not confront the dragon. Frustration was evident in the curl of his lips and the narrowing of his purple eyes, there just did not seem to be a way to make this work!

 

Shuuei wondered what to do; what would Kouyuu do? What would Ryuuren do? He thought back to Ryuuren’s parting words, about riding the dragon rather than confronting it. To ride such an overwhelming beast would require some way to control the situation and get his brothers to agree to let him go. He needed a way to break the beast. He needed to find a chink in its armour.

 

As he considered options and discarded them just as quickly, Shuuei despaired of finding a workable solution. While deep in thought, his hands, with a will of their own pulled out the purple handkerchief with the delicately embroidered iris blossoms. Weakness...hmmm. He had an idea.

 

Shuuei girded his loins and challenged his brothers the only way he knew they would have no chance but to play his game, his way. When he took control away from the triplets and stripped them bare by revealing their most cherished secret, their identities, he made sure to quickly return their freedom by asking in return that which they did not want to give but there was no choice.

 

So Shuuei walked out of the Ran manor a free man; not too sure what exactly was his standing within the clan but knowing that he was free to return to the man who loved and needed him and wanted him for himself and not for his family. He was free to return to Shi Ryuuki, Emperor of Saiunkoku to serve wholeheartedly without restrictions, though he was slightly unsure of his worthiness now that he had distanced himself from his Clan.

 

How will this development affect Ryuuki’s future? Shuuei did not know but he once again drew out the silk handkerchief and the iris seemed to glow brilliantly against the light purple background.

 

As he replaced the kerchief, Shuuei thought that it was good enough that he could now give Ryuuki his unconditional devotion and that would have to be enough. So with much lighter steps Shuuei made his way off the Ran family grounds and towards the docks. His foremost thoughts were whether he would be able to convince Kouyuu to allow him to stay in his apartments until he could get a job.

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End file.
